This invention relates in general to implements used in playing the game generally known as Milk Caps and, more specifically, to an improved slammer for use in that game and a method of making the slammer.
Within the last few years, a game was conceived by unknown persons in Hawaii. The game used conventional disk-shaped cardboard milk and juice bottle caps as game disks. The players stack a number, generally four or more, game disks which bear indicia indicating a "front" side. One player then throws another disk, called a "slammer" or "hitter" generally similar in diameter to the game disks, but thicker and heavier, against the top of the stack. All game disks knocked off of the stack that land backside up are kept by the player. The game disks that land frontside up are restacked and the same player continues until the player is unsuccessful in flipping over any game disks. The turn then passes to the next player. In one alternative method of play, players alternate turns. Play continues until all game disks are flipped over. The player with the most game disks at the end of the game wins. A number of different variations on the game have been developed.
The bottle cap-like disks are often called Milk Caps. Apparently the name derives from a Hawaiian juice drink called POGS for the constituent passion fruit, orange and guava juices. The caps to the Pogs drink bottles were among the earliest game disks.
With the rapid growth of interest in the game, a number of manufacturers have produced bottle cap-like game disks and a variety of different slammers. The game disks are generally made from cardboard or plastic and simulate bottle caps in diameter and thickness, generally including a cutout simulating the tab used for removing the original bottle caps from bottles.
While slammers were originally simply another cap, slammers now tend to be a heavier material, such as metal, having a diameter generally the same as the game disks but somewhat thicker. The metal slammers have square edges and sometimes have serrated edges to better catch against the game pieces. Unfortunately, when the slammer bounces off of the stack of game pieces it may strike the player or a bystander, inflicting cuts, bruises or other injuries.
Slammers generally have a slick metal surface which may be embossed with any of a variety of designs. Since the slammer is thrown with considerable force and accuracy is required to properly strike the stack of game disks, having the slammer slip from the player's fingers is undesirable.
Metal slammers from a manufacturer tend to be all identical so that those belonging to different players are difficult to identify and may become mixed up.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved slammers for use in playing the game generally known as Milk Caps which are safer is use and provide more effective play, have different appearances for ease of identification and provide greater ease of gripping and resulting greater accuracy.